1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical receiver comprising a PIN photodiode as a receiving element for optical signals of a fiber optic communications transmission link and having a following transimpedance amplifier for conversion of the photocurrent output by the PIN diode into an evaluatable voltage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The principle of an optical receiver constructed in such a manner is disclosed, for example, in the article "Grundlagen der elektro-optischen Signaluebertragung" in telecom report, Vol. 6, 1983, supplement "Nachrichtenuebertragung mit Licht", pp. 21-27. Numerous modifications of the optical receivers constructed in this manner are commercially available. There are extremely expensive, complete optical receivers having high sensitivity. In addition there are optical receivers which are fashioned as preamplifiers having small gain and wherein considerable expense is required in order to arrive at an evaluatable signal, particularly given optical pulses having a high bit rate. All of the optical receivers available in the market place form a structural unit with a plug structure adapted thereto, An adaptation to different types of plug structures involves considerable added expense. A further disadvantage of the known optical receivers is that an A.C.-oriented coupling is preferred in order to avoid drift problems in the receivers. An A.C.-oriented coupling between the individual receiver stages, however, is disadvantageous for a data traffic having a quiescent condition, since undesired transient states can occur.